Food Acquistion

Hmm, when it comes to food acquisition you have a multitude of choices.  There's growing, hunting, trapping, fishing and foraging for the ultimate DIY.  Moving up we have direct from the farmer/grower, equally ultimate.  Then we have farm stands move up to farmer's markets, ethnic stores, grocery stores, super centers and online,  Ideally, your food acquisition will involve a combination of the aforementioned with a stronger reliance on DIY and farmers/growers.

Complicating food acquisition at this time is the price of gas.  We buy directing from farmers/growers which means a bit of rural travel but cost and quality is worth it for where we are.  If you live in a city, that may not be the case.  BUT, you will pay gas regardless of where you shop and it may be a deterrent to multiple stops shopping the sales.  Sorry but my time is money so I don't do this even in our very small community.  If you order online, the price of gas is reflected in higher shipping rates.  IMO, the price of gas may be the biggest factor for food acquisition for many.

However, there is a price point consumers will not cross unless absolutely necessary.  That's where a very well stocked pantry can help.  Alternative resource help too.  For example, a 3 oz bottle of  mustard seed will cost $5.99 in the grocery store but 1 kg will cost $8.99 online and might be cheaper at an ethnic store.  It very much becomes a game of knowing your price and where to get that item cheaper.

Here's a few ways to save a bit:

1. keep a list and only shop when absolutely necessary UNLESS it is a great sale

2. always shop sales then buy a couple extra

3. shop with cash for farmers/growers and bring bags or boxes [yes, they will reward you]

4. create an informal co-op especially for warehouse stores/farmers/growers - can you pick up this for me your next trip, I will pick up that for you

5. stay out of grocery stores unless cherry picking sales

6. shop unit prices - dollar stores are actually more expensive for food than grocery stores

7. in general, buy the largest size possible from growers/producers

8. shop farmers/growers early in the morning

9. buy local, if hunting/fishing/trapping stay local

10. forage as much as possible - everything from edible/medicinal plants >free, easy, fun and great exercise

 

Garden Gnome
©2006-2022

Thank-you!

A comment was left to thank me for being back.  Oh my gosh!  What a lovely comment.  Thank-you so very much!  Not once did I ever think what I wrote actually mattered.  I write because I believe in what I'm doing and want to share that with others. 

At the moment, everyone is dealing with inflation, shrinkflation and uncertainty.  If we are honest with ourselves, we are also dealing with anxiety, fear and anger.  The latter three serve as motivators but they are also harmful physically, mentally and spiratually.  We cannot prep out pantries out of any of these emotions and quite frankly at this point we must deal with inflation and shrinkflation to the best or our abilities.  Let's use this time instead to discover new skills, preserve what we can and channel anger into productivity.

So, my newest skill is foraging.  Caution: always have a positive identification before using or consuming any foraged plant.  I use the app PlantNet.  I am impressed that our lack of lawn maintenance is giving us an abundant resource for edible and medicinal plants.  In our urban yard we have: common marrow, two netttles, plantain, common dock, dandelion, clover, purslane, riverbank grape, lambs ear and mullein.   Oh and maybe a little grass mixed in!

Again, relax and enjoy the opportunity we have been gifted with.  As you stock your pantries from all sources, do so without fear but determination and gratitude.

Garden Gnome
©2006-2022

Update and Observations

Folks, things have been at a rather hectic pace ever since asparagus came into season.  So a bit of an update.  Food acquisition and preserving continues to be our main focus.  The canners have been going a few times weekly and the dehydrators almost daily.  

A few observations:

1.  strawberries ($5/qt) and corn ($8/doz) - not impressed and those are prices from farm stands

2. produce prices are up but quality is way down in the grocery stores

3. milk and milk products have increased

4. sugar always sold in 5 lb (2.26 kg) bags is now 2 kg (4.4 lb) but the price has stayed the same/increased

5. farm stands especially direct from the farmer not farmer's markets continue to be the best value

6. meats in general have increase but there's still a lot of good sales especially pork

7. food shortages:

    - mustard seed increased $1.99 in less than 4 hr on Amazon then wasn't available by evening

    - yellow mustard is scarce in some stores here and reports are shortages in Michigan

    - white sugar is in short supply but we are still able to find it, some areas you can't find it

    - some shelves are bare but possibly due to normal retail operations

8.  hot & humid temperature means tomatoes, peppers, and many edible weeks are very productive

9.  canning jars are available but full increased price; Bernardin lids unavailable at Dollarama over 1 mth

10.  watermelon has actually decreased in price, great value for fresh eating or preserving

11. dried pastas are now a victim of shrinkflation

12. rice ($10.99/8kg/18 lb) and dried beans/lentils ($3.49/900 g) have remained the same

13.  yellow corn is virtually non-existent here anymore, peaches&cream it is but not the best for preserving

Overall, while we are seeing food price increases but for the most part they aren't affecting us much but we really don't shop much in the grocery stores.  I have reduced my milk purchases to 4% whole milk and heavy whipping cream which allows me to make a wide range of milk products without the extra cost of those products.  I have increased foraging a bit especially mullein (awesome for colds/flu), plantain and nettle.  Dandelions seem to be few and far between with this heat.  Our chickens and beef are on schedule but we will have fewer chickens this year.  I have been slowly stocking my fishing gear, something I should have done awhile ago.

Again folks, I want to reiterate my goal is to give information not fear.  Prep what you can, stock what you can BUT always with a purpose NEVER fear!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2022

A Short Update and Observations

It has been a very busy month!  Starting with asparagus and now onto strawberries. I love this time of the year when local produce is starting.  It takes very little effort to stay busy.  At the same time, I kept doing what I'm doing given the current geopolitical events.  

Organic asparagus from my produce delivery guy is $4.50/lb.  We went out to a nearby organic asparagus farm and got it for $1/lb so I was rather pleased with that!  I canned plain asparagus and cream of asparagus soup base, dried and froze asparagus.  Local strawberries are going for $5/qt at the farm but Walmart put Ontario strawberries on for $3.97/qt which saved a bit of money as well as gas and time to get them.  I decided not to make strawberry jam this year so only wanted a couple of quarts for dehydrating.  

In terms of my food observations over the past month.  Our local Dollarama has increased their food space from about 3/4 of an aisle too 1 1/2 aisle.  But, just because it is at Dollarama, doesn't mean it's cheaper.  Canned beans were $1.25 but Walmart price was $0.97 so now it is even more important to know the prices.  There are still some good food deals too.  No Frills has pork half loins on sale again and quite frankly, pork has been one of the best deals since the first of the year.  Avocados have increased by $1 for a bag of 6.  Honestly, the surprise was the increase in Spanish and red onions!  One Spanish onion cost me $1.69 and a red onion $2.17!  Salad kits have increased by $1 per bag too.  Packaged lunch meat has increased by $1 per 2/pk.  Classico tomato sauce was 3/$7.50 at No Frills and $4/$10 at Walmart.  The beauty with this sauce is you can reuse the jars for home canning so a bit of a win for stocking up and adding to your canning jar collection.  Both No Frills and Walmart are giving more space to their food brands likely because the perception is store brand is less expensive.  Good deals can still be found for dried beans and lentils. Some candies and chocolates are still quite inexpensive.  Campbell's soups are buy 5 or more for $0.80 each at No Frills but the last time they were on sale they were $0.49 with no minimum purchase.  Milk is definitely creeping up in price.  Sundry items like toilet paper and garbage bags really haven't increased in price. 

If you pay attention to the predicted food shortages, citrus is supposed to be in short supply this summer.  I picked up a large bottle of real lemon juice that was one of three left.  There was still a lot of orange juice and since hubby starts his day with orange juice, I bought an extra jug.  I also canned 3 L and plan to buy a few cans of frozen orange juice.  Quite frankly, orange juice is one of those foods that's a bit more difficult to stock a large supply.  

Canning supplies have not followed their normal sales trend.  They typically go on sale when strawberries start but so far all canning supplies have not gone on sale and are actually seeing an increase in price.   A carton of 12 - 500 ml jars is $14.99 for Bernardin and $12.99 for Golden Harvest.  Canning lids are averaging $6 for 12 lids.  Pectin, pickling spices and canning salt have all increased in price.  Enterprising home canning know how to work around these minor annoyances.

Farmer's markets (the ones that come to town each month with stalls) have started back up.  I haven't checked their prices yet because ours tends to be more of a mini craft show with a bit of overpriced produce tossed in.  This is definitely the year to grow as much as you can.  There have been some very good deals on vegetable and herb plants, averaging about $1.50 per plant so I managed to get most of my containers planted for about $20.   All the plants for my Kratky passive hydroponics system were started from seed  indoors.  I'll be harvesting beans, peas and lettuces soon.  And, I have 3 cute little lemon trees growing! 

Garden Gnome
©2006-2022

Cooking Oil Shortages

The newest report is we will be seeing cooking oil shortages due to current events.  Some shoppers are reporting that sunflower oil is very difficult to find.  The food industry is sounding the warning over palm oil shortages.  Both of these oils along with canola oil are cause for concern because the food industry relies heavily on these oils for commercially produced baked goods.  Shortages therefore can have a huge impact for that industry.  Substituting another oil is not easy as it would likely increase price something that really isn't desirable given the high inflation rates right now.

If you are a home baker/cook, shortages of these oils likely won't affect you.  If you can't find one oil, you can likely substitute another oil  If you also make your own soaps, then palm oil may or may not affect you.  I use palm oil for soap making so expect to see an increase in price when I next order.  Other than that, I'm really not concerned.

Oils can be purchased in larger quantities but should be stored in a cool, dark location.  At higher temperatures, oils can become rancid.  Do not ingest or use rancid oils for cooking.  If you do not have a cool, dark location, oils can be stored in the refrigerator to extend their life.  Some oils will get a bit cloudy if stored in the fridge but that is perfectly normal. 

Garden Gnome
©2006-2022

Grain Price Increase?

We all know prices are going up.  I ordered wheat berries at $22 per 10 kg a couple of weeks ago but now they are up to $26 per 10 kg.  So within a span of about 2 weeks, it was a price increase of $4 from that particular source.  It could be their local adjustment though as I'm not seeing huge increases elsewhere but rather mild increases.

For those who do not use wheat berries or other whole grains for longer storage or home milling, I'm not seeing a huge increase in commercially ground flours.  Most have gone up verry little or by a few pennies  if at all.  Certainly store brand flours seem to be staying the same price.  Rice has increased by pennies but oat meal and cornmeal is the same.  An 8 kg bag of jasmine rice is on sale at No Frills this week for $12.88 member price.  Dried legumes, split peas and beans have all increased about $1/900 kg bag so it's best to watch for sales of these even though they are still a good bargain for your food dollars.  If you prefer canned beans, keep an eye on No Frills.  I think it was last week they had selected varieties of canned beans on for $0.49 so that sale will be repeated likely next month since sales tend to be cyclic.

Garden Gnome
©2006-2022

Much Needed Break - Road Trip

A little over a week ago, we took a much needed break.  At the same time we took advantage of stopping at some of the many food growers/producers/suppliers scattered throughout southwestern Ontario.  The first day of our journey, we stopped at:  a whole sale food distributor, a cheese factory, a grain mill, a fish monger  and a few smaller venues.  While there, time spent in nature meant renewing the spirit while discovering new plants and doing a bit of foraging.  We enjoyed several lovely meals and the turkey carcass was carefully packaged for the ride home.  Our final stop was a lovely Asian meal at our daughter's.

Looking back, we were away 5 days and yet every day I was able to do something that would help our pantry and preparedness at home.  I personally don't feel that now is the time to do nothing so my goal is do something daily but at the same time a change of scenery is restorative and good for the soul.  

It's always fun for us to discover new food suppliers too.  Two of the places we stopped at, I have ordered from several times online so it was really nice getting to meet them!  One was a totally new discovery but definitely a keeper on our list of local 'must stops' when we are on a road trip.  Speaking of road trips,  we're already planning a foodie road trip now that asparagus and rhubarb is running.

The next morning, I was up dealing with what was left of our purchases.  The following morning, I made a beautiful turkey stock with the carcass and canned most of it but froze a couple of bags.  Good thing, because we only had one jar of turkey stock left!  Our days of finding cheap turkeys in the US have been dampered by the current events and quite frankly, turkeys are so expensive on the Canadian side you almost have to take out a second mortgage to buy one.  At any rate, our daughter found a great turkey deal so we got one.

Garden Gnome
©2006-2022

Grow What You Can

During both World Wars folks were encouraged to grow whatever they could.  Victory gardens were encouraged.  Many folk across Canada still have a home garden while many more have turned to indoor hydroponic gardening.  Given the current geopolitical events, high inflation rates heading towards  hyperinflation, quickly rising food prices, and increasing warnings of food shortages the advice is to grow what you can.   My belief is everyone should grow whatever they can.  A surprising amount of food can be grown in a 4' x 4' raised bed or containers on balconies.  Herbs and salad greens can be grown on window sills.  Both sprouts and microgreens are easy to grow indoors and require very, very little space.  

My gardening efforts are both indoors and outdoors.  I grow outdoors on the deck in containers mainly using the Kratky method (passive hydroponics) that is very low maintenance, high yield gardening perfect for greens, tomatoes and some herbs.  A large pots of herbs, strawberries, beans and peas I use 2 wide mouth mason jars for my sprouts and grow microgreens in a 10" x 12" tray.  Two repurposed clear plastic take-out clamshell containers serve as mini greenhouses to start seeds or grow extra microgreens as needed.  The lower bathroom bathtub is filled with deck plants overwintering soon to be moved outside.  The lighting for those is tied into our home automation system.  I use watering spikes in some outdoor pots but others are on an automatic watering system while the indoor pot are on a watering system tied into our home automation as well.  I also have a 6 pod Aerogarden that is also surprisingly quite productive. 

Seeds are by far, less expensive that the starter plants so I tend to start whatever plants I can from seed.  I prefer heirloom seeds to hybrids as they breed true so can be saved from mature plants and I prefer organic seeds for sprouting or microgreens.  Seeds at Home Hardware, Canadian Tire and Walmart range in price $0.99 to $3.50 per package.  Seeds at Dollarama (Canadian origin) are 3 pks/$1 or $0.33 each.  Dollar Tree seeds (USA origin) are 4 pks/$1.25 or $0.31 each.  Sprouting and microgreen seeds are exactly the same as what you would plant in the ground or containers but they are bought in bulk.  I buy from organic sprouting seeds from Mumm's (Saskatchewan) and organic mustard seeds from Splendor Garden (Saskatchewan).  Splendor Garden also has bulk herbs and spices.  I get grains like wheat berries, kamut kernels, and etc., directly from organic flour mills.

Garden Gnome
©2006-2022

Food Storage Containers

Food storage containers are expensive purchased new especially when there are so many free resources.  The only food storage containers I don't mind buying are mason jars (ongoing as needed) and Anchor Hocking glass bowls with lids (twice in over 20 years) and Starfit glass rectangles with hinged snap lids (once).  These are used for storing leftovers as well as hubby's lunches.  I did spurge this year and buy two Chef's Path 7 qt (6.5 L) storage containers with hinged snap lids for easy access to wheat berries.  

Mason jars can be found free or very low costs at estate and yard sales.  I found just putting the word out I need jars to family and friends works well.  You really have to watch the resale store prices and Facebook Marketplace as quite often they are more expensive than new.  If buying new, I comparison shop and wait for them to go on sale.  Sales tend to run as strawberries come into season through the tomato season here, so end May through September.  Also, in Canada, our main brand is Bernardin (was made in Canada but now USA) but Golden Harvest (made in USA) is also available at a lower price point at Canadian Tire.  Canning lids here tend to be Bernardin.  Aside of those sold on Amazon, I haven't seen any other brand available.  Tattler reusable lids are available on Amazon and if you are lucky you can find glass inserts online.  I will say, I will not buy or use canning lids made in China.  Many of the lids have very low performance ratings to the point some home canners have lost their entire season of canned foods to seal failure and buckled lids.  As far as I know only Home Discovery brand of canning jars were made in China, sold for the y2K demand and they disappeared as quick as they appeared.  I have just under a dozen of these jars in use. 

Whenever we get groceries, the preference is for foods packaged in glass jars or bottles.  Glass is so much easier to re-purpose than metal cans and the shelf life for especially high acid foods is longer in glass than either metal or plastic.  High acid foods in metal cans can develop a metallic taste and sometimes rusting occurs if the acidity eats through the plastic lining.  This is not a problem with foods stored in glass jars.  While we seldom buy commercial tomato sauce, some is packaged in glass jars that fit the mason jar lids and given their weight can be used for home canning.  I carry a snap lid in my purse just to check for this.  Pickle jars are another very useful storage containers especially the 1 and 2 gallon sizes.  Some salad dressings still are available in glass jars and also fit the mason jar lids so they are good for jams and jellies.  We no longer buy salad dressing but friends and family save the jars for me.  Any jar that fits a mason jar can also be vacuum sealed, so perfect for storing dry foods or other dried goods like buttons.  

Five gallon buckets are very popular for food storage.  Here, I can buy a 5 gal (19 L) bucket for $5, the lid with gasket for $5 or a gamma lid for $20.  Or I can get a used 5 gal bucket with lid from a local restaurant free.  I like free!  My absolute favourite buckets are the free ice cream pails with lids from a local ice cream shop.  The are 11.4 L (3 gal) so won't fit gamma lids but are easier for me to handle.  I use them for food storage, container gardening, garage storage, craft supplies, anything else I need to store, utility pails, and hauling produce from farmers.  

Heavy plastic totes are another favourite but only three are used for temporary food storage and a couple for hauling food, the rest for my yarn stash.  I know we bought the food storage totes on sale but the rest were free.  Totes can easily be found inexpensively on Facebook Marketplace and the online auction HiBid.

Larger containers for water are available in the camping section of most stores.  Fifty gallon drums and IBC tanks are available use at multiple source or new at Uline.  If you buy used, be sure whatever was in the drum or IBC tank was potable water, nothing else.  Be warned that both 50 gal drums and IBC tanks are current targets of theft even if they are filled.  If you decide to use either, make sure they are stored out of eyesight of neighbours or folks going by.

Garden Gnome
©2006-2022

Our Ongoing Rodent Problem Possibly Solved

Rodents are insidious critters that can cause a lot of structural damage, reek havoc on your food supplies and most importantly are vectors of disease.  Once in your home, they bring all their relatives too!  The most common sign of infestation is droppings but on closer inspection you will also find dried urine.  The best policy is drive them away from your home followed by blocking any obvious entry points.  However, they can and will gnaw fresh entry points if given a chance.  Baiting is highly recommend as is trapping.

We have had an ongoing rodent problem despite several visits from pest control services and our ongoing efforts.   There's a field behind us so when the field is planted, mice come in.  When the field is harvested, the mice come in.  Any time the field is disrupted, the mice come in.  New roof, mice still come in.  But we gained a bit by using carpenter's wire in the drain holes for the brick so haven't seen any new activity in the garage for over a year.  We narrowed it down to one problem wall.  Last fall, I jammed steel wool into any hole I could find along the field facing wall.  A couple of days ago, I was looking for jars so moved a few boxes and there on the problem wall was an electrical outlet with a good finger width gap top and one side as well as the cover fallen off!  The cover must have just been set on the outlet without the screw to hold it on by the previous owners and we didn't notice it.   So, to my way of thinking the mice found an entrance point on that wall then down the wires and out into the room via that gap. 

My solution was to buy a double cover, outlet and switch.  I put a bit of cardboard behind the switch portion to stop any air coming through then secured the cover to the outlet.  Next will be getting under the deck to check again for any possible entry points along the outside of that wall. 

I'm still not taking any chances.  All food is stored in glass, metal or heavy plastic.  Even non-food items like ayurvedic hair care, candles, soaps, soaping/candlemaking supplies are all stored the same way.  I actually lost about 2 lb of soy wax pellets to mice the first year we were here and they chewed through an expensive, hard to find katam (ayurvedic hair care) as well as gnawing on homemade soaps.   Mice have been known to chew through plastic.  Thank goodness we aren't dealing with rats as they can definitely chew through plastic and some have reported they can even chew through some metals.  

Garden Gnome
©2006-2022

Bones

Honestly, for the life of me I cannot understand why anyone would buy boneless meat of any kind.    To me, bones are a true gift.  Yes, you pay for bones in the price of the meat but you also pay more for boneless cuts of meat.  If you hunt or fish, those bones are basically free too.

Bones are the basis of stocks and broths.  Both are nutrient dense, must have pantry staples.  I have a bone-in ham bought on sale.  About half will be canned, half will be spread over a couple of meals and the bone will be tossed into a crockpot with celery, carrots, onions, beans and seasonings for a lovely soup that will feed us over a few days.  An alternative to actually making the soup using the bone, is to simply make stock or broth something I routinely do.  The stock can be used within a few days or froze or canned.  I prefer to can my stocks because I have limited freezer space.  Home canned stock can later be used as the base for soups and stews or the liquid for canning meats or the liquid for cooking rice/beans/pasta.  Finally the spent bones from making stock can be further cooked then ground into bonemeal for the garden.  

Stock is ever so simple to make - bones, onion with skin, carrot, celery, peppercorns, bayleaf and the magical ingredient to help release calcium from the bones into the stock, vinegar.  I prefer using a pressure cooker but long, low simmer on the stovetop works well too.  I have also used a stem juicer to make absolutely gorgeous stock. 

Garden Gnome
©2006-2022

Brand Loyalty

Some folks are extremely brand loyal especially when it comes to food.  I have to admit that we are as brand loyal to actual food but we are with respect to certain food prep items.  For example, our cast iron must be Lodge, and I absolutely love Corsori, American Pan, Oster, All American (pressure canner) and Logastina.  As far as food goes though, not so much so.  We spend about 1/3 of the year in the US.  Some brands we get here in Canada are not available in the US and visa versa.  We also spend time in the Caribbean where brands are very different.  At home (Canada) we shop directly from growers and producers.   Over the years, we found reducing out dependency on grocery stores, greatly reduced any brand loyalty too. We also don't buy much in the way of commercially processed foods.  We also boycott certain companies for ethical reason.  So we simply aren't brand loyal.

Inflation and food shortages are creating a climate where brand loyalty is not always the best policy if you want to keep a well stocked pantry.  One secret the food industry hides is the fact that one processing plant can run different lines of the same product but with different labels.  For example tomatoes - brand name, store brand.  Same tomatoes, from the same group of farmers just different labels.  Ergo, same product but different labels and price points.  This applies to all commercially canned fruits and vegetables.  What does differ is propriety products.  So, a processing plant runs 2 lines of soup - one for company A and one for company B.  Company A is a brand name, company B is store brand so 2 price points.  In this case, the processing plant will use Company A's recipe for that line and company B's recipe for their line.  The products will differ but sometimes you might actually prefer the store brand to the brand name while saving a bit of money.  Case in point, Kellogg's had a labour dispute so Kellogg's products were not available for awhile.  We buy a large box of Rice Crispies once a year specifically to make squares.  This time, hubby came home with the store brand rice equivalent.  It was not only less expensive but crispier, nicer flavour.  Brand names simply don't matter for some foods like rice, whole grains (ei. wheat berries, kamut kernels), dried beans, dried lentils, some salts, white sugar, baking soda and white vinegar.  What does matter is whether organic or not if that is important to you and country of origin.

So if you are brand loyal but looking for ways to keep rising food costs in check, you might want to buy store brand commercially canned fruits and vegetables as well a trying out store or lesser known brand for other commercially processed foods.  If you are looking for foods where brands don't matter, switch to the cheapest option which may even be a dollar store so be sure to check unit prices.

Garden Gnome
©2006-2022

FIFO Rotation

Any pantry regardless of size should work on the FIFO (first in, first out) method.  What this really means is the oldest food is used first.  This applies to all aspects of your pantry including refrigerator and freezer.  This requires organization but reduces food wastage.  If you are a home canner, this method ensures you will find any false seals before they become a problem.  It also ensures that any problems with commercially processed foods are caught before they are a problem.  There are many ways to do the FIFO method. 

Some folks use colour coded dots and others write the date with a marker.  My method doesn't include colour coding but it is visual.  We rely heavily on home canned foods so what I do is store filled jars in rows on a shelf, front to back.  The number of jars per row depends on the size of the jar - 6 for L (qt) and 7 for 500 ml (pt), more for the 250 ml (1/2 pt).  Underneath the row running the length of the shelf is painters tape.  I write the contents, year and number of filled jars.  As I use a jar, I move the remaining jars forward the put the empty clean jar to the back of the row for storage.  Once the entire row is filled with empty jars, I have a clear visual of what needs to be canned again.  For commercially canned foods, I use a similar method always moving old stock to the front, new stock to the back.  I also use the FIFO method for dried foods and long term storage. 

For commercially processed foods, I know how much we will use in a given time frame.  So if we use 4 cans/boxes/bags of something, I start with 5 then watch the sales and buy enough to get me back to that 5 then repeat the process for the next month.  Some foods technically don't need to be rotated (ei. sugars, salts, baking soda, cornstarch, vinegars, low methoxy pectins, instant coffee, and other forever foods).  I rotate these foods as well because that's what I'm used to.   

Garden Gnome
©2006-2022

Low Cost Stocking the Pantry

I think one of the biggest problems folks have with their pantry is not having the money to stock it.  That is more so for those on a low or fixed income.  Some folks rely on food pantries and church meals so it is hard to squirrel away a bit of extra food.  Notice I said hard, not impossible.  The best way to save money when stocking the pantry is DIY (home canning, dehydrating, freezing, curing)

First rule of thumb is to shop sales.  I absolutely refuse to pay full price for anything wherever possible.  We don't have BOGOs or coupons here but I know many places in the US does so if you are in an area that does have them take advantage.  I have heard of people who get food baskets or use a food pantry putting up some of what they can't use right then.  For example, they get a bag of dried beans so part of the bag is canned for future use.  

Second rule of thumb is buy from the source.  Buying directly from the grower or producer is almost always less expensive than in the grocery stores.  You can usually get in bulk sizes (bring your own boxes or bins) and the farmer usually give you a baker's dozen or always a bit extra.  We buy most foods this way.  

Grow whatever you can then learn to preserve it.  At this point, an indoor and outdoor garden is highly recommended.  Part of you pantry should include an ample supply of seeds.  Buying seed packs can be expensive so to reduce the cost:  learn how to save seeds from your gardens, join a seed exchange and get to know other gardeners in your area for trading seeds.

Third rule of thumb is to forage.  There is a surprising amount of edible food right in your own yard and even in cities growing in the cracks of pavement.  Last year I made dandelion honey from dandelions in our yard.  Dandelion greens are good in salads and the roots can be dried for a liver tonic tea.  I didn't have quite enough wild violets to do the same but this year looks promising.  Stinging nettle is another edible that makes a lovely spring tonic tea.  Wild grape leaves (keeps pickles crisp, stuffed), wild grapes and other wild berries make wonder low cost jams and jellies.  Purslane for salads, and the list goes on.  Be sure to identify any plant before consuming and don't forage on private land without permission.

Hunting and fishing are both low costs ways to stock the pantry.  I don't hunt but I fish.  Hubby goes to hunt camp so we usually have a nice supply of venison as well as other wild game.  Wild game can be froze, canned (plain, soups, stews, chili), dehydrated (jerky), cured (sausages etc) and really are one of the ultimate ways to fill your pantry quickly for very little cost.  If you don't hunt or fish get to know someone who does.  Quite often they will gift you with a small amount or trade for something like homemade bread.

Equipment needed (most can be found used):

1. vacuum sealer (regular, chamber)
2. dehydrator (estimate $20 - $400)
   
3. waterbath canner (about $20) or steam canner (about $70) [high acid foods]
   
4. pressure canner (estimate $100 - $500) [low acid foods]
5. mason jars/lids
6. vacuum sealer bags (don't buy brand name, chamber sealer bags are cheaper)
   

Before you rush out to buy this equipment, check your local resale shops.  Quite often you can find them for very good prices.  Check Facebook Marketplace too especially after Christmas and Mother's Day.  Here Canadian Tire generally runs some very nice sales too.  Put the word out to family and friends that you are looking for these items.  Sometimes family will even lend you theirs for a short period of time. 

Now, some will say they can't afford the equipment.  But consider the savings.  A can of beans at No Frills costs me $1.89.  A bag of dry beans costs me $3.79 (sometimes less) but I get 5 c of dried beans out of a 900 g package.  At a 1/2 c of dried beans per 500 ml jar to can that works out to 10 jars of canned beans or $0.37 each but in reality the beans are soaked overnight so really closer to 1/4 c (soaked) per 500 ml jar giving me about 20 jars of beans for $0.185 each plus the cost of the snap lid.  The same savings can be seen for canned meats, fish and poultry as well as most fruits and vegetables.

You also don't need all of the equipment at once.  Start with what you can afford and build from there.  A $20 dehydrator can process a lot of food for your pantry shelves for very little money!  It is one of the best ways to reduce food wastage, create delicious homemade snacks and fill your pantry one jar at a time. You can even create your own dehydrated instant meals and seasoning blends for a fraction of the cost of store bought.  My dehydrator is running pretty much every day right now.

Garden Gnome
©2006-2022

Prepping on the Down Low

For all intents and purposes only you and members of your household should know you are stockpiling food and other supplies.  First and foremost do not talk about your stocks and stress to other members of your household to do the same.  That means your neighbours should not be seeing you bring in 50 bags of groceries.  Your pantry stocks should be kept away from the eyes of anyone visiting your home including friends, extended family, utility servicemen and repairmen.  

I personally prefer to call it staying under the wire.  Don't draw attention to yourself.  Don't draw attention to what you are doing.  

Yesterday, I went to the grocery store specifically for a few items for the pantry and yet no one would have suspected that.  I spent $67.  Items were: miso broth, a bag of dried beans, bag of arborio rice, bag of sticky rice, can of sliced olive, 2 cans flaked turkey, baking powder, rice paper, 2 pk spaghetti, sm tub flavoured cream cheese, sm block of cheese, bag of apples, 1 zucchini, 1 tomato, pk mini cucumbers, romaine lettuce, radishes, and cilantro.  Rather than using credit card (normal for points), I used cash something I've been doing a lot more of.  Nothing was glaring obvious.  That's the way it should be.  The neighbours would have seen me bring in 2 bags of presumably groceries but really could be anything since the purchase was in reusable cloth bags.  Most times I pull into our attached garage, close the garage door then unload so no one sees anything other than me going into the garage.  This time I didn't.

Ordering online is very convenient especially for items we would otherwise have to drive to a larger community for.  One thing that is a concern is ordering online because neighbours and passerbys can see how many deliveries you have.  Amazon has taken to splitting orders which doesn't help.  If I order flour, seafood, cheeses etc directly from the company and have an Amazon order on the way, it is quite possible that there two delivery trucks in a day.  Not every day, but still noticeable.  The other concern is the cardboard boxes.  We don't want them at the curb for recycle pickup to draw further attention.  Instead, we crush the boxes and hubby takes them to the waste transfer station.

Speaking of recycling.  We no longer put our recycle bins out on a regular basis due to our extensive waste reduction attempts.  At best our bins go to the curb twice a year and usually about 15 minutes before the scheduled pickup.  While this is not normal for our neighbourhood, folks likely just figure that we don't recyle.  We generate a kitchen catcher of waste that goes out weekly on schedule except during the winter months.  Technically it takes us over a month to fill a regular garbage bag.  Now while this seems to not fit in with our neighbourhood, it has been our normal pattern for over 10 years so by now, the neighbours or passerbys wouldn't think anything of it.

Garden Gnome
©2006-2022

Top Seven Foods to Stock

There are many recommendations as to what is best to stock.  My recommendation is to stock what you eat, eat what you stock.  Each list I post, take from it what is useful to you.  Remember, if times worsen you may need to have extra or something you don't use to barter for foods you need.  Right now is the time to stock!  It's very import at the same time to stock:

1. seeds
2. learn how to grow what you can
3. learn how to save seeds
4. learn how to cook as much from scratch as you can
5. learn how to preserve as much as you can

Top seven foods to stock:

1. canned goods (commercial, home canned) 
2. carbonated beverages
3. coffee
4. chocolate
5. meat/poultry/fish especially shelf stable versions
6. pasta
7. bottled water
   

 

Garden Gnome
©2006-2022

The Four Corners Pantry

What is a pantry?  Most folks have visions of a larger cabinet in the kitchen.   Essentially a pantry is a room where beverages, food, and other kitchen provisions are stored.   A pantry can range from a small cabinet to a larger walk-in space or can be a full sized room or even larger AND in includes your refrigerator/freezer storage capacity.   The best way to describe a pantry then is four corners.

The Four Corners Pantry consists of:

1. working pantry - food in use (ei. part box of cereal)
   
2. refrigerator - fresh produce,
   
3. freezer - part of refrigerator, stand alone
   
4. extended pantry - non-perishable food stocks, storeroom, larder, root cellar, long term storage

Ideally, all food is rotated in an organized fashion to the working pantry as required.  However, it is becoming increasing common during these times for folks to stock long term (10 - 30+ year) survival food as well.  These foods generally are not rotated unless absolutely necessary.  The good news is that you don't have to rely on commercially freeze dried foods for long term survival foods as there are some you can put up yourself quite easily.

Five DIY Survival Foods

1. dried sourdough starter
2. ship's biscuits (hardtack)
   
3. portable soup (basically dried stock)
4. parched coorn
5. pemmican
   

 Forever Foods to Stock (properly stored will last forever)

1. honey
2. salt
3. sugar
4. pure vanilla extract
5. maple syrup
6. corn syrup
7. cornstarch
8. distilled white vinegar (most vinegar)
   
9. alcohol/hard liquor
10. rice
11. powdered milk
12. dry pasta
13. canned goods (commercial, home canned)
14. peanut butter
15. soy sauce
16. dried beans
17. unground wheat/grains
18. baking soda
19. bouillon
20. plain instant potatoes
21. instant coffee, tea, cocoa
22. dried corn
    

Garden Gnome
©2006-2022

Water, Water, Water!

Water is the most overlook critical item in most pantries.  You can survive quite some time on little food but only three days without water.  The recommendation for water storage is 1 gallon per person per day.  A week's worth of storage for 1 person is 7 gallons so simply multiply that by how many in your household.  However rehydrating dried foods, cooking and personal needs all require water.  You cannot feasibly store enough water to last a year but water storage is a big part of preparedness.  Municipal water can be shut off due to contamination (most likely), power outage (less likely) or a cyber attack (who know?).  Even if you have a well, the well can go dry or get contaminated.   

Therefore, you need:

1. a fresh water source
   
2. one or more water storage vessels
3. a water catchment system
4. a water filtration system
5. a way to treat water

Finding a nearby water source is very important in the event your municipal water or well is disrupted for an extended period of time.  This may or may not be feasible for some however, knowing where you can find water is very important.

Water storage vessels range in size from individual to the 50 gal drums and 250/330 gal IBC tanks.  All containers must be food grade, with a tight fitting lid and made of durable, unbreakable materials.  Two cavG7jvN81?go2l!b*Ju26*12ggE3mc5#*eats, the larger drums and tanks are now a popular target of theft even when filled.  Drums and tanks should not be stored direct on cement as over time,  contaminants from the cement can leach into them.  It's best to secure these indoors in a garage or somewhere out of sight of prying eyes.   Canning water in quart jars is an ideal but inexpensive way to get shelf-stable sterile water for your pantry and home apothocary.  Five gallon refillable water jugs are available in the camping supplies section of many stores.   Re-purposing juice jugs and large glass containers is an ideal way to store filter water.  This water should be rotated every 6 months.  As much as I don't like them, now is the time to pick up a case of water every time you grocery shop.  Be sure to rotate that too.  A home pool is one of the best storage vessels but the water does need too be filtered.

Many folks use a rain barrel to catch water off the roof.  This catchment system is good but should not be considered safe to drink due to chemicals in the asphalt shingles of the roof.  If your roof is not asphalt shingled you may be fine.  There's a lot of conflicting information on this topic.  There are several designs for DIY water catchment systems on You Tube.

A water filtration system is critical.  A whole house water system is ideal.  Single tap, refrigerator and reverse osmosis water filtration systems are available.  The most recommended is the Berkey but it's pricey.  We personally like the ZeroWater filtration system (mid-range price) and the Brita (low price) is always a good option.  It depends on what you are trying to filter out.  All water filtration systems have a weak link and that is the filters themselves.  You need at least a one year supply of filters for whatever system you are using.  Personal filtration devices (ei. LifeStraw) are available as well.

Stored water should be treated with chlorine at a rate 1 to 2 PPM for potable water.  Always sanitize your container before fill then add the water and treatment.  For 1 PPM in 100 gal you need 1.5 tsp 5% chlorine bleach (household unscented bleach).  You should also keep liquid pool shock (10-12% chlorine) and water purification tablets on hand just in case.  

Garden Gnome
©2006-2022

Introducing the Pantry Preparedness Series

     It been awhile since I made a blog post although I have been making posts on the Facebook page for this blog.  The past couple of years have been very disruptive and quite frankly with the current geopolitical situation, things are only going to get worse.  There is a lot of speculation as to what is actually happening.  Whether what we are seeing is orchestrated or not, the fact remains folks need to prepare for what may come.

     Back in March of 2020 shortly after the pandemic was declared, talk of food shortages began.  I remember telling hubby that this was a warning to start stocking up on food.  Warnings of shortages for coffee (weather), chickens/eggs (avian flu), hazelnuts (political), grains (weather, political), and a variety of other foods have been predicted.  We've seen shortages in cream cheese (labour), Kellog's brand (labour), canned corn (high demand), chicken (high demand, avian flu), yeast and cornstarch (unknown).  We have also seen local shortages of some foods due to high demand and winter weather.  A couple of weeks ago President Biden said there would be food shortages and shortly after, Prime Minister Trudeau said the same.  We also know the war between Russia and Ukraine will more than likely affect the fertilizer supply which would have an impact on crops.  In addition, we are seeing global hyper-inflation so food prices are skyrocketing.  Even if the food is available, you may be in a position that it is no longer affordable.  Panic buying similar to what we saw at the start of the pandemic is predicted to start in July but this time the target will be food.

     This Pantry Preparedness Series is meant to give you tips for starting and maintaining a well stocked pantry.  It is not meant to create fear.  The mantra is always prep with purpose, not with fear.  The second mantra is do one thing daily.  

     The general recommendation is to stockpile as much food as possible to meet your needs.  Stockpiling is not the same as hoarding.  Stockpiling is an organized method of stocking your pantry with the foods you eat within a certain time frame.  Everything is very organized with new stock being put to the back, moving older stock to the front and constantly rotating.  For example, you use 5 cans of green beans in a month so you stock 7 cans because you always have a couple extra to help get to the next sale.  Then you ideally wait for a sale to replenish to the 7 within that month.  So if the sale comes and you have 4 cans of green beans left, pick up 3 and put those to the back.  This ensues you have a month supply of green beans on hand most of the time.  At some point you will want to move to a larger capacity storage so you can slowly increase depending on the sales.  Hoarding is unorganized stocking beyond what you can reasonably use within a given time frame.  For example, you may have a hundred cans of green beans some here, some there, not really knowing how many you have and not rotating your stock.

     With respect to time frame, many are happy with a one to three month supply of food.  That is, if you were lockdowned or under quarantine, you have enough food to meet your needs.  The Mormon church recommends that their members have a one year supply.  Home canners generally put up enough to get from one growing season to the next with enough extra in case the next growing season fails, so two year supply.  I am now seeing preppers and homesteaders focus on longer term storage (10 - 30+ years) based on current events.  So, the time frame is up to you.  Some is better than none, more is better than that and some long term should be considered.